Countdown counter for duplicating machine

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION IS DIRECTED TO COUNTDOWN COUNTING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH DUPLICATING MACHINES INCLUDING A COPY SELECTOR MOVABLE ALONG A STRAIGHT LINE PATH RATHER THAN A ROTARY PATH, WHICH MAY BE PRE-SET TO DUPLICATE ANY DESIRED NUMBER OF COPIES. OPERATIONALLY, THE COPY SELECTOR IS AUTOMATICALLY INDEXED ONE UNIT IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS HOME POSITION DURING EACH DUPLICATING CYCLE OF THE MACHINE. OPERATION OF DUPLICATING MACHINE IS AUTOMATICALLY TERMINATED UPON THE SELECTOR ATTAINING THE HOME POSITION.

Feb. 16;, 1971 P. G. BIELIK COUNTDOWN COUNTER FOR DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed oct. 2o, 1969 2 sheets-sheet 1 .Nlmwlll I.. lli l NNN.

Feb. 16,1971 P. G. BIELIK l COUNTDOWN COUNTER FOR DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed Oct. 20, 1969 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 LD B) II t I III I l Irak I I I 'I I |I I ,'l I H I l l Z-TZUSTZZ-r' United States Patent O 3,564,593 COUNTDOWN COUNTER FOR DUPLICATING MACHINE Paul G. Bielik, North Riverside, Ill., assignor to Bell &

Howell Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 20, 1969, Ser. No. 867,520 Int. Cl. G06m 3/02 U.S. Cl. 235-132 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to countdown counting apparatus for use with duplicating machines including a copy selector movable along a straight line path rather than a rotary path, which may be pre-set to duplicate any desired number of copies. Operationally, the copy selector is automatically indexed one unit in the direction of its home position during each duplicating cycle of the machine. Operation of duplicating machine is automatically terminated upon the selector attaining the home position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to counters. In particular, this invention relates to countdown counting apparatus for duplicating machines which `may be pre-set to a numerical indicia reflecting a given number of sheets to be duplicated, which automatically counts down one numerical indicia per operational cycle of the machine and which terminates operation of the machine upon duplication of the proper number of copies.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Typical prior art duplicating machines such as spirit duplicators or mimeograph type duplicating machines employ count up counters, having a meter or register which may be manually adjusted to a Zero reading and thereafter register one indicia for each duplication cycle. In using this type of counter, the operator visually observes the register and manually terminates operation of the machine when the desired count is achieved. Other count up counters may employ presettable 'means which automatically terminate operation of the machine upon reaching the desired count.

Many of the above noted type prior art counting devices and various modifications thereof, particularly those ernployed in the well-known spirit duplicating machines, utilize a complex, expensive rotary counting mechanism which is operatively coupled to the spirit duplicator by equally complex and expensive linkage and gears. In addition, many of said prior art counters are diflicult to read and maintain in proper adjustment, thereby causing dissatisfaction and objection by many operators and detracting from the overall simplicity and acceptability of quick, eicient, easy to operate spirit duplicating machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention obviates many of the above-mentioned problems, difliculties and inconveniences of prior art counters typically employed in duplicating machines, particularly low cost spirit duplicators, by providing a simple counter having a straight line rather than a rotary scale. The counter is adapted to be pre-set to duplicate any desired number of copies and sequentially counts down to zero as each copy is reproduced. Upon the counter reaching a home position, operation of the duplicating machine is automatically terminated.

In accordance with the invention, which will be described in the environment of a spirit duplicator but which may obviously be used with other duplicating apparatus employing different principles of reproduction, an eccentric is provided at the end of a duplicating drum shaft or other rotating member. A driving arm having an end limited to reciprocating motion, is pivotally connected to the eccentric and the reciprocating end is coupled by a lost motion linkage to a pawl arm carrying a pawl member positioned for cooperation with a plurality of teeth provided at the circumference of a ratchet wheel. Rotational movement of the eccentric causes the pawl to take one tooth of the ratchet wheel per operational cycle of the duplicating machine. Rotation of the ratchet wheel is converted into translatory or longitudinal horizontal movement by means of a sprocket coupled to the ratchet wheel, an idler sprocket and a chain trained about each of the sprockets. A copy count selector, which functions both as a copy indicator and as a manually movable selector, is secured to the chain and cooperates with numerical indicia printed on a plate attached to the side panel of the machine. The selector is moved to a position corresponding to the number of copies it is desired to duplicate, and thereafter indicates the number of copies remaining to be duplicated by the machine. The selector actuates a trip lever terminating operation of the duplicating machine when it reaches its home position corresponding to zero indicia.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide, in a cyclically operating machine, a low cost, presettable countdown counter which automatically terminates operation of the machine upon completion of any given number of cycles.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a duplicating machine, low cost, economical and reliable countdown counting apparatus which may be pre-set to effect a desired count by shifting a copy count selector in a straight line direction and which has a longitudinal rather than a circular indicia scale.

` It is also an object of this invention to provide, in a duplicating machine, a presettable countdown counter having a selector movable in a straight line direction including means for terminating operation of the duplicating machine upon achieving the desired copy count.

Additional objects of this invention will become apparent to those versed in the art of registers and counters upon an understanding of the following detailed description of the countdown counter of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the environment of a spirit duplicating machine, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front-side perspective view of a spirit duplicating machine including the countdown counter of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational View of the duplicating machine shown in FIG. 1 with the protective overlying panel removed for clarity;

FIG. 3, on the same sheet as FIG. 1, is a slightly reduced top plan view of the countdown counting apparatus of the invention taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, but with the protective side panel in place; and

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged side elevational view of the pawl arm, ratchet wheel, and lost motion linkage of the counter as viewed along line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a spirit duplicating machine comprising the environment in which the invention will be described, and generally referred to by reference numeral 10, is seen to include a supply station 12, supporting a stack of paper sheets 13, a duplicating drum l14, a protective side panel 16 overlying a number of moving elements comprising a portion of the operative mechanism of the machine, a start button 18 extending through a front edge portion of side panel 16 for initiating operation of the machine, and a countdown counter 20.

Turning now additionally to FIG. 2, spirit duplicating machine includes an electric drive motor 22 having an output shaft 26 and a pulley 24 secured thereto. A drive belt 28 shown in phantom, is trained around motor pulley 24 and an input pulley 30 of a mechanical clutch 32. A second drive belt 34 is trained over an output pulley 36 of clutch 32 and over a large speed reduction pulley 38 rotatably supported on a jackshaft 39. Belt 34 is maintained in a properly tensioned condition by a small tension roller 40 engaging its exterior surface. A small pulley 42 is affixed to shaft 39 and a belt 44 is trained from pulley 42 to a large drum pulley 46 having substantially the same diameter as the diameter of duplicating drum 18. The described shafts and pulleys together effect a substantial speed reduction from the output shaft 26 of drive motor 22 to the duplicating drum y14 rotating the drum at a maximum speed of about 110 revolutions per minute.

A control lever 48 pivotally secured at 50 to a lateral support frame 49, is provided for regulating the pressure of a small roller, not shown, against drum 14. Lever 48 includes an attached depending leg 58 having a flat end tab 59 positioned to cooperate with an actuator 60 of an electrical switch 62. Switch 62 is serially connected to drive motor 22 and a source of electrical power, thus, as control lever 418 is pivoted to its lower limit of movement, tab 59 engages actuator 60, opening the switch contacts and de-energizing the driving motor. As the control lever is pivoted upwardly, actuator 60 is released, closing the contacts of switch 62 and energizing the motor.

Mechanical clutch 3-2 includes a socket 64 which receives a complementary, spherical shaped member 66 carried at the lower end of a generally vertical clutch link 68 pivotally mounted to the lateral frame at 70. The upper end of clutch link 68 is connected to the right end of a horizontally extending run lever 72 which is moved toward the right upon actuation of start button 18, thereby engaging the clutch to rotate the drum.

Run lever 72 is locked into the run position, that is with the lever positioned toward the right, by a right angle shaped toggle 74 pivotally carried on the lateral frame at 76. A slot 77 defined by the lever at pivot 76 allows the run lever to be moved back and forth and assists in limiting its movement to the horizontal direction. A tension spring 78, extending between pivot 7.6 and a stud 81 normally biases lever 72 to the left, however, when the machine is operating, lever 72 is retained in its right position by a nose 80 of the toggle which cooperates with stud 81. A second tension spring 82 holds the toggle in its run position. A depending extension lever 84 is adjustably secured to the lower leg of toggle 74 by fasteners 86. As will be noted in greater detail below, clockwise movement of toggle lever 74 allows stud 81 to escape from nose 80 and enter a pocket 82 of the toggle, releasing lever 72 and disengaging the clutch.

For clarity, the clutch and accompanying linkage have been shown in a simplified form as compared to the structure typically employed. The more complex linkage merely positions the drum 1-4 to facilitate inserting a spirit master in a drum clamp, not shown.

Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, in addition to FIG. '2, in accordance with the invention, the countdown counter comprises a ratchet wheel 100 staked to a horizontal shaft 102 suitably mounted for rotation in a bearing 103 carried on a bracket 104 which is secured to the lateral frame 44 of the machine. Ratchet wheel 100 includes a large number of circumferential teeth 105. A pawl arm 108 having a pawl 106 along its bottom edge cooperates with teeth 105 to index the ratchet wheel one tooth at a time in a manner described in greater detail hereinafter. Pawl arm 108 denes a slot 110 receiving a stud 112 extending from the bracket which restricts the arm to straight line,

reciprocating movement. A tension spring 114 is provided at the right end of the pawl arm to retain it in a normal position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4.

Pawl arm 108 is connected to a driving arm ,1,16 through a lost motion linkage 118. The driving arm includes an inclined portion (FIG. 2) having a terminal end which is pivotally connected at 122 to an eccentric 123 driven by the drum axis. A horizontal lower end 128 of the driving arm is limited to reciprocating motion by a guide 124 bearing against the inner surface of the arm and a second guide 126 (FIG. 4) which partially surrounds end 128. The lower end defines a horizontal slot 130 which receives a stud 132 fixed to the left end of the pawl arm, together forming the lost motion linkage.

Pawl arm 108 is moved a short distance to the left at the completion of each back stroke of arm end 128 as the driving arm is reciprocated back and forth responsive to rotation of drum 14. The pawl arm indexes ratchet wheel 100 one tooth in the counter-clockwise direction. As arm end 128 is displaced to the right, spring 114 returns pawl arm 108 and pawl 106 to its normal position and the pawl engages the adjacent ratchet tooth in preparation for the next indexing operation. A detent spring 134 is secured to frame 104 and cooperates with the ratchet wheel to prevent movement in the clockwise direction.

A sprocket having a bearing 141 is journaled on shaft 102. An idler sprocket 4142 is journaled on a shaft 144 carried on lateral frame 49, adjacent the front of the machine below start button 18. The axis of rotation of idler sprocket 142 is parallel to that of sprocket 140 and the sprockets are generally aligned with one another. A chain 146, such as a ladder chain, is trained around each of the sprockets to convert the rotary movement of the ratchet wheel to straight line motion of the chain.

Sprocket 140 is coupled to ratchet wheel 100 by a slip clutch 148 comprising a bowed washer 151 which is compressed between the opposing surfaces of the ratchet wheel and the sprocket. Thus, the slip clutch transmits counter-clockwise indexing movement of the ratchet wheel to sprocket 140 and chain 146 to achieve coincident movement thereof an indexing movement of the upper leg of the chain, from right to left. On the other hand, the slippage of clutch i148 allows the upper chain leg to be moved from'left to right, and allows sprocket 140 to be rotated clockwise while index wheel 100 is maintained stationary by detent 134.

A copy count selector 150 is secured to the upper leg of chain 146 for facilitating movement of the chain in a back and forth direction. Copy count selector 150 extends through a horizontal slot 152 formed in the protective side wall 16 of the duplicating machine and is readily accessible to the operator. The copy count selector includes a pointer 158 which cooperates with a series of spaced apart indicia 156 representing the number of copies to be duplicated. The number of copies desired to be duplicated is initially selected by moving the selector from its home position, to the left so that the pointer is aligned with the desired copy count indicia. During each duplication cycle, pawl arm 108 and pawl 106 cause ratchet wheel 100 to index one tooth. This movement is transmitted to the copy count selector by the chain, and the selector is indexed one unit to the left in the direction of its home position.

In addition to allowing the upper chain leg to be moved from left to right for initially setting the counter by movement of copy count selector 150, slip clutch 148 also functions as an overriding clutch which enables the operator to re-set the copy count selector at any time during the countdown cycle without damaging the counter. For instance, if the copy count selector is preset to a given indicia .15.6, and operation of the machine is initiated by depressing start button 18, the operator may move selector 150 to the left or right while the machine is operating to increase or decrease the number of copies to be reproduced and may even return the selector -to its home position to terminate operation of the machine. The slip clutch prevents movement of the chain from being transmitted to ratchet wheel 100.

Extension lever 84 is disposed in the path of copy count selector 150 and is moved to the left as pointer 158 reaches the zero indicia mark. This movement releases stud 81 of run lever 72 from nose 80- and terminates operation of the machine.

To facilitate the duplication of a plurality of the same number of copies, a stop 166 for the copy count selector is provided. The selector stop is adapted for movement along a track formed by the edges of slot 152, and may be fixed at any desired position along the slot with its pointer 168 indicating the number of copies desired to be reproduced, by firmly tightening a large thumb screw 170. Thereafter, by merely moving the copy count selector to the right until its pointer 158 is vadjacent the pointer of stop 166, the same number of copies will be reproduced during each extended cycle of operation of the duplicating machine. In addition, as the copy count selector is sequentially indexed to the left towards its home position, operation of the duplication machine will be terminated.

What has been described is a countdown counter for a duplicating machine or the like which is economical, of simple construction, reliable, which may be pre-set by moving a selector along a straight line path and which terminates operation of the machine upon completion of the copying cycle.

It is obvious that upon study by those skilled in the art, the disclosed invention may be altered or modified both in physical appearance and in construction Without departing from its inventive concept. Therefore, the scope of protection to be given this invention should not be limited by the embodiment described above, but should be determined by the essential descriptions thereof which appear in the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Countdown counting apparatus for duplicating machines or the like comprising: a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said duplicating machine; a pawl cooperating with said ratchet wheel; lost motion means operatively coupling said pawl to a powered member of said duplicating machine and causing the pawl to index said ratchet wheel a given distance responsive to each duplicating cycle; means coupled to said ratchet wheel for converting its rotary motion into translatory motion; a copy count selector secured to said converting means and adapted for Straight line indexing movement from a pre-set copy count indicating position to a home position; and means terminating operation of said duplicating machine responsive to the copy count selector attaining its home position, whereby said copy count selector may be pre-set to duplicate a given number of copies and is indexed in the 6 direction of its home position during each cycle of said duplicating machine.

2. The countdown counting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said motion-converting means comprise a rotatably mounted iirst pulley; a second pulley mounted in line with and spaced away from said first pulley; a iiexible member trained about said pulleys, coupling one to the other; said copy count selector being secured to said cxible member, and including additionally: means limiting said ratchet wheel to movement only in the direction moved by said pawl, and slip clutch means coupling said ratchet wheel to one pulley thereby enabling manual displacement of said copy count selector to a pre-set copy count indicating position without imparting movement to said ratchet wheel.

3. The countdown counting apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said duplicating machine includes a rotatably mounted duplicating drum; a rst arm having a first end eccentrically coupled to said drum and having a second end defining a slot extending parallel to its direction of movement, including means limiting said second end to back and forth movement in a direction generally parallel to the direction of movement of said selector; a second arm carrying said pawl and having a pin captivated in said slot for moving said pawl arm in a direction causing the pawl to index said ratchet wheel at least one unit for each revolution of the drum, and spring means biasing said second arm in the opposite direction to return the arm to a normal position.

4. The countdown counting apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said apparatus is supported on an exterior side frame of said machine and wherein said selector protrudes through and is accessible from the exterior of an overlying side panel, said selector being movable through a path extending from the front to the back of said duplicating machine.

5. The countdown counting apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including indicia markings on said side panel for indicating the number of copies desired to be duplicated; means on sad copy count selector cooperating with said indicia markings, and manually settable stop means including means for locking said stop means at any selected position to facilitate movement of said selector to said given position thereby facilitating repeated duplication of a given number of copies.

STEPHEN I. TOMSKY, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 23S-91 

